Tag Archives: Leicester City

15th May 2022- Premier League, Watford 1 Leicester City 5

WFC.Net goal commentary: 1

Attendance: 20,257

BBC Sport: Jamie Vardy scored twice as Leicester thrashed already relegated Watford to consign them to a seventh defeat in eight Premier League games.

Sky Sports: With incoming Watford head coach Rob Edwards in attendance, the already relegated Hornets made the perfect start as Joao Pedro (6) capitalised on some poor Leicester defending to open the scoring.

The Guardian: Watford’s latest defeat equals the overall top-flight record of 15 home reverses in a season and leaves the 39-year-old Edwards in little doubt about the summer overhaul required. Barnes made it 3-1 approximately 17 seconds into the second half, much to Hodgson’s frustration. “It’s the antithesis of what we were hoping for,” said Hodgson, who was without a host of first-team players because of injury and will depart Hertfordshire without winning on home soil.

BHappy: There are few of the consolations of previous bad relegations;  in 2000 and 2007 we had teams punching above their weight who ran out of luck.  1988 was awful, but the bitterest pills had been the previous summer and a rebuild was already suggested.  1996 was miserable, but offset by a tragically magnificent late charge and the promise of what was to come. This season has been charmless and shambolic.  The challenge of being promoted out of a pandemic shouldn’t be discounted… we were always up against it, a newly promoted Watford (rather than a Villa or a Newcastle) is always going to be running uphill.  But a challenge can be steep and the response utterly miserable.  The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The players did a lap of honour in front of the few that were left in the ground.  It was a very muted affair compared to the usual end of season parade. On this occasion the players, very sensibly, kept their children out of the spotlight.  There were cheers for Ben Foster on what would be his last appearance in a Watford shirt at Vicarage Road..

8th January 2022- FA Cup Third Round, Leicester City 4 Watford 1

WFC.net Jon Marks goal commentary: 1

Attendance: 25,710

BBC Sport: FA Cup holders Leicester City made an impressive start to their defence of the trophy as the much-changed Foxes swept aside fellow shadow side Watford.

Sky Sports: The lights went out for a short period early in the second half as the Foxes led 3-1, and Pedro hit the bar soon after the restart, but the hosts finished the stronger.

BHappy: On the pitch, Daniel Bachmann – whose good days aren’t nearly reliably frequent enough – pulled out a couple of smart saves but the second of those saw a kind rebound fall to Albrighton to complete the scoring.  At the other end, Cucho spent the last fifteen minutes scampering around after scraps.  His persistence saw him through on goal in the dying minutes, a lack of confidence borne of however many defeats on the hop now meant that he didn’t apply a finish that would have been automatic and instinctive in happier times.  The contrast with Leicester’s kids, who were visibly growing in confidence in the light of their experience, couldn’t have been starker.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Of the lads making their debuts, it was hard to rate Forde and Conteh as they came on so late, but I thought that James Morris acquitted himself well.  I hope that he gets more first team opportunities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021%E2%80%9322_FA_Cup

28th November 2021- Premier League, Leicester City 4 Watford 2

WFC.Net Jon Marks Goal Commentary: 1  2

Attendance: 34,310

BBC Sport: Jamie Vardy scored twice as Leicester beat Watford in a hugely entertaining match to ruin Claudio Ranieri’s return to the King Power Stadium.

Sky Sports: The former Leicester boss, who led the club to the Premier League title in 2016, was given a hero’s welcome by the home fans before the game, but his side were behind in the 16th minute after James Maddison capitalised on an error from William Ekong.

BHappy: Our response to this setback, and to the start of the second half, and the fact that we were still pushing at the end of the game are big positives.  If, from the point at which Maddison scored, it rarely felt that we were quite on the edge of turning Leicester over it was never quite out of reach either.  Compare and contrast with any number of our preceding defeats when a goal might not have arrived if offered infinite hours, a written invitation and an armed escort.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The Hornets had another chance to draw level when a Cleverley free kick to the back post was met by the head of Masina but his effort was wide of the target.  At the other end, the home side had a chance to increase their lead when Castagne crossed for Vardy who headed over the bar.  The Hornets should have been level after a brilliant strike from Hernández, but it was deflected off the inside of the post and Schmeichel gathered.  The equaliser had been coming and it came from the penalty spot.  Dennis had received a ball from King and broke into the box where he was tripped by Ndidi and the referee pointed to the spot.  Schmeichel employed considerable gamesmanship in questioning the referee and delaying the spot kick.  We speculated on who would take it.  The consensus was King, who took penalties at Bournemouth and is from Norway so not fazed by snow.  Sure enough, he stepped up and took a lovely penalty into the corner to beat Schmeichel.

20th June 2020- Premier League, Watford 1 Leicester City 1

Match pack

Nigel Pearson urges Watford to concentrate only on Premier League survival

Paying Attendance: 0
Referee: Craig Pawson
First half
Second half
Dawson’s goal

Post Match

The Hornets’ players and supporters had waited 98 days for the Golden Boys to resume their Premier League season with this home fixture against the Foxes, but there were two seminal moments before a ball was even kicked this afternoon. After walking out to an eerily quiet Vicarage Road, the players held a moment’s silence for all those affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, before taking a knee on the referee’s whistle for Black Lives Matter. Both moments demonstrated unity between the teams and an understanding that some things, sometimes, must come before football.

Watford snatch late point against Leicester City in their first game back in the Premier League

Craig Dawson snatches a point for Watford late on against Leicester City

Watford players rated after late Leicester City drama

Craig Dawson said his first Watford goal was one of great importance

Nigel Pearson said Watford found things ‘not easy’ against Leicester without supporters

Two defenders scored late wondergoals as Watford and Leicester drew 1-1 at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

The only previous 1-1 draw in the Premier League, with both goals coming in or after the 90th minute, was between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates in April 2011.

Minute by minute

If the way Watford clambered back to their feet after Ben Chilwell’s heavyweight blow is how they mean to go on, Nigel Pearson can be confident his team will fight until the end. They refused to give in after falling behind to a cracking goal from Chilwell in the 90th minute and rescued a point just when all looked lost, Craig Dawson summing up their defiance when he fastened on to a flick from Christian Kabasele and volleyed past Kasper Schmeichel in the Leicester goal.

“It’s something you practise in training and it probably doesn’t go in very often,” Dawson said. “It is different to what we are used to and we missed the fans but hopefully we can continue.”

During comms, Steve McManaman compliments the club on the colour in the stadium and the organisation of the day.  He also mentions the work done in supporting the hospital over the last few months.  We’re all aware of all of this of course, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted.  We talk about Watford being a community club…  well here’s the evidence, if any were needed.  A sanctuary for hospital staff.  Washing the scrubs.  Free meals.  Meeting room space.  The sensory room adopted by the maternity unit for pre-natal checks.  Players and ex-players ringing older and vulnerable supporters, accessing further support where needed.  Matchday BT sport passes for season ticket holders. Even sorting out season ticket refunds was done considerately, professionally.  Plenty of clubs haven’t managed that, or anything near it.  Speaks volumes that where everything’s up in the air and the club (like so many other institutions) are suddenly deprived of cashflow, they’re prioritising this stuff.  A club to be proud of.  Let’s try to remember this next time we lose to someone shit.

It’s back! And so of course is From the Rookery End. Jon and Jason are joined by Mike, one of the lucky few to be inside Vicarage Road, to discuss Watford’s hard earned, dramatic point against Leicester as project restart, starts. The game is the focal point of the show, with the boys covering all the main talking points from a fascinating encounter, including praise for Watford’s late saviour Craig Dawson.

4th December 2019- Premier League, Leicester City 2 Watford 0

Referee: Craig Pawson
Attendance: 31,763

Match Report: Leicester City 2-0 Watford

Relive coverage of Watford’s trip to Leicester City

Watford fall to Leicester City defeat as Jamie Vardy and James Maddison score

Watford’s caretaker boss Hayden Mullins felt there were ‘loads of positives’ to take from Leicester City defeat

How we scored the Watford players in Leicester City defeat

Gerard Deulofeu calls for Watford players to improve ‘character’

Jamie Vardy and James Maddison scored as Leicester won a record seventh straight Premier League game with a 2-0 victory over Watford.

After a goalless first half, Vardy fired the hosts ahead from the penalty spot after Adam Masina had fouled Jonny Evans. Maddison then made sure of the win in stoppage time, breaking away before slipping the ball past Ben Foster in the Watford goal.

The visitors were solid and hinted at a threat on the counterattack. And yet Leicester should have opened the scoring in the second minute after a move nicely begun and terribly finished by Ayoze Pérez. The Spaniard did everything right until he slammed the ball over the bar from 10 yards following a smart setup by Vardy. Pérez flopped again four minutes later, failing to make a clean connection from eight yards out after another Vardy pass.

Watford’s game-plan was clear, to defend in numbers and break on the counter-attack, with winger Ismaila Sarr attempting to pressurise Leicester left-back Christian Fuchs, in for the injured Ben Chilwell.

The Watford fans were on form with an early chant of “Brendan Rodgers, he’ll walk out on you.” 

3rd March 2019- Premier League, Watford 2 Leicester City 1

This game was given added spice by the announcement five days beforehand that former Watford manager Brendan Rodgers had left Celtic to take over the vacant manager’s job at Leicester City. The Guardian detailed the story of his time at Vicarage Road.

The new Leicester City manager is likely to get a hostile reception at Vicarage Road after an abrupt departure in 2009 but his players remember him warmly

Referee:
Jonathan Moss
Attendance:
20,062
Goal 1
Goal 2

Watford host Leicester City and former manager Brendan Rodgers in the Premier League

Andre Gray scores injury-time winner for Watford against Leicester City

Javi Gracia stresses Watford’s ambition following Leicester City victory

Watford vs Leicester City: Javi Gracia praises contributions of Troy Deeney and Andre Gray

Watford players’ individual performances rated after earning late win against Leicester City

A selection of images from Watford’s victory over Leicester City

Watford’s Andre Gray has dedicated his winning goal against Leicester City to his auntie after her recent death

Troy Deeney has spoken about his understanding with Andre Gray after Watford’s late win over Leicester City

A last-gasp goal from Andre Gray denied Brendan Rodgers his first point as Leicester manager as Watford earned a 2-1 win in the Premier League on Sunday. Rodgers’ debut saw him return to the club where got his first managerial job after being appointed at Leicester on Tuesday, but it was a terrible start for the former Celtic boss as Troy Deeney scored inside five minutes.

Troy Deeney insists there will be no Watford “meltdown” this season after the Hornets continued their impressive campaign with a late victory over Leicester in Brendan Rodgers’ first game in charge of the Foxes.

Watford boss Javi Gracia says his team “deserved” the win after beating Leicester City 2-1 at Vicarage Road, the Spaniard is also pleased with the “ambition” his players continue to show, saying they want “more and more” as the Hornets aim to finish the season strongly.

A late goal from the substitute, Andre Gray, gave Watford all three points as Brendan Rodgers began life at Leicester with a defeat

Among all the accusations that have swirled around since Brendan Rodgers swapped Celtic for Leicester, there has been little suggestion that he picked the easy option. Watford provided an instant crash course in the perpetual uncertainty of the Premier League’s middle third and, when the substitute Andre Gray ran through in added time to send a charged-up Vicarage Road into raptures, it felt like enough to stop even the most incorrigible optimist in their tracks.

Leicester were indebted to Kasper Schmeichel and then Wes Morgan for keeping Watford out from a third-minute free-kick, only to fall behind to another free-kick two minutes later. Gerard Deulofeu curled in the dead ball with such ferocity that Troy Deeney needed only to allow it to skim the top of his head to beat Schmeichel.

The beginning, strictly speaking, is Tuesday’s management announcement in Leicestershire which confirmed that for the third home game in a row we would be facing a former boss. The third of the three home games this calendar year incidentally versus nine away of which only two defeats, a figure distorted by cup draws and Spurs’ stadium nonsense… but these statistics which highlight how well the present incumbent is doing and how the identity and history of the Other Bloke only matters up to a point.

Leicester’s decision to dispense with the services of Claude Puel and appoint Brendan Rodgers meant that this was the third home game in a row in which we would face a former manager.  It also ensured a better atmosphere than may have been expected on a Sunday lunchtime as Mr Integrity returned to Vicarage Road.